Career lessons from 5 powerful business women

Last week’s news of Saudi Arabia lifting its ban on women drivers was met with cheers from around the world. It served as a remainder of the struggles women face when it comes to basic rights. While not as archaic, the workplace hasn’t exactly been very kind to women, especially those trying to balance family and career life.

They strive everyday to accomplish the best at home and work, and to celebrate that we’ve compiled a list of quotes from some of the most powerful women leaders, who defied the odds and challenged the status quo.

Never stop learningIndra Nooyi - Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo.In today's competitive world, staying on a successful track requires constant innovation and relentless focus. Learning, and upskilling is integral to taking your career to new levels. With new skills, you’ll enjoy more opportunities and choices – and probably more money.

“Our CEOs and leaders have to be lifelong students—not just students in the sense of attending courses or reading a book or two. You’ve got to learn how to read widely, walk the market, look at trends in the marketplace, make connections that don’t seem obvious,” Nooyi said.

Don’t limit yourselfSheryl Sandberg – COO -FacebookBe it your first job or in the middle of your career, you need to know your unique selling proposition and your personal brand -- and what sets you apart from the competition. By uncovering exactly how you’re unique and different from those who do similar work, you can capitalize on those competitive advantages and be very successful in your career.

The Facebook COO and author of Lean In believes that the sky is the limit when it comes to your life — including your career.

She responded to a question on Quora in 2015 about what advice she would have given herself when she was “starting out.”

“Believe you can do anything. This is important for everyone and especially for women. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t have both a meaningful professional career and a fulfilling personal life. When you hear someone say you can’t do something, know that you can and start figuring out how. Ask yourself, ‘What would I do if I weren’t afraid?’” Sandberg wrote.

Find a mentorMelinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation“If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped.”

Finding the right mentor can help you carve your path towards a very successful and fulfilling career. The career challenges, failures, and successes he or she has encounters provides a unique and valuable perspective from which to give advice and guidance.

It’s Ok To FailArianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes -- understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

There can be times in your career and personal life, where you encounter failures and only tend to focus on the negative events, while letting the positive ones roll off your back. And because of that tendency, it can feel natural to let one single failure completely take control of your career path or project. Please don’t let failure bring you down. Accepting your failure doesn’t mean being proud of it, rather true acceptance is understanding that you hit a roadblock and need to figure a way around it—by warding off the negative feedback, soaking constructive criticism, and ploughing ahead in an innovative, way.